Common Conditions

Estrogen, Metabolic Syndrome, and Erectile Function

When we think of major sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone usually come to mind first. And even though we know that men’s and women’s bodies make both, it’s easy to automatically associate estrogen with women and testosterone with men. After all, these hormones drive secondary sex characteristics.

However, estrogen might be more involved with erectile function than scientists thought. A new study has shown that erectile function in rabbits that have been fed a high-fat diet is affected more by high levels of estradiol (E2) than low testosterone.